Illusions
by rainyending
Summary: "Men have wasted away before it, not knowing if what they have seen is real, or even possible." In which a trip to the Mirror of Erised leaves Draco wondering about life, and the life he's missing. Draco/Hermione. Oneshot.


**Illusions**

_"It shows us nothing more or less than the deepest, most desperate desire of our hearts."_

If anybody could see the Slytherin king right now, they'd be sure to send him off to St Mungo's.

Draco Malfoy paced in front of the wall, muttering to himself feverishly. The mirror of Erised had been something he yearned to see since he had read about it in Hogwarts: A history. But it wasn't until a reliable source informed him of the Room of Requirement he was able to find a lead on where the object had been. With his family pressures raising and important life choices inching closer and closer, he could use the help of a mirror to sort out his troubles.

A rustic door appeared in front of him. Breathing out a sigh of relief, he burst in.

The room he'd dreamt up was dimly lit, with nothing but the mirror pressed against one side of the wall. His footsteps echoed on the smooth floor tiles. It was just too convenient that old coot Dumbledore had left it in the Room of Requirement, in reach of anyone with half a brain and enough money to research their facts, but his father had mentioned that the headmaster of Hogwarts was slipping up by the minute.

_Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi_. Draco trailed his fingertips along the words etched into gold. "Let's see what you've got." He said tauntingly, as if he was talking to one of Potter's friends. Would it be his family? Death Eater duties? Not being a death eater? Full of curiosity, he leaned in.

He was instantly blinded by how…bright the reflection was, having spent most of his time either at Hogwarts or the Malfoy manor. He was holding a pretty brunette with wavy hair by the arm, smiling as if he was genuinely pleased - a feeling that doesn't come to him often. All of a sudden, he recognized who the girl was.

Hermione Granger.

She looked a couple of years older and inches taller, but it was no doubt her. The sunlight illuminated her skin. She was wearing a dress similar to the gown she had on at the Yule ball, he knew because he had spent half the night in awe over how strangely different she was.

"Bloody hell." He willed himself to step away from the mirror, but his feet were glued to the ground, mesmerized by the reflection.

"No way. This is not my desire." He told himself, gripping his wand tightly until it almost snapped in half. Maybe it was a copy of the mirror, an opposing version that has been enchanted to show his worst fears instead, because being anywhere near the Mudblood had that effect on him.

Slamming the door shut, he slapped his palm onto his forehead, feeling foolish. The object would have to be pretty damned if it thought he desired Granger.

* * *

He was suddenly seeing Granger everywhere. Jumping out of her seat whenever the teacher asked a question, absentmindedly blabbing to Potter and Weasel, sipping on pumpkin juice - her favorite, as he noticed - in the great hall.

He tried to twist what he saw into a joke. _Yeah, great one, like I'd desire a bushy-haired bookworm_. But she was no longer bushy-haired, her curls descending into beautiful waves instead. And as geeky as she was, she was also exceptionally smart - if there was one person he knew could measure up to himself, it was her. She always spoke with an exceptionally confident tone and carried the same I'm-always-right attitude as him.

Tossing and turning, he had a full-on speculation about whether he could simply forget about what he saw. What was the Mirror of Erised suggesting? Surely not that he would like to be with Granger. That thought was nauseating.

Burying his face in a pillow, Draco gave in. His last thought before falling into deep sleep was of a certain brown haired Gryffindor.

* * *

"Add powdered moonstone until the potion turns green."

"I can read, Granger." Draco snapped, fuming at his bad luck. Never in his life had Snape made him work together with anyone, let alone a Mudblood, but Snape was not up to his usual standards today, and that pissed him off. Although the real reason he hated it was due to how much the partnership reminded him of the mirror.

Granger only gave a dejected sigh. "I know you can, Malfoy, but I'm making this easier for you." Despite her best efforts to stay calm, he could tell his every action had a negative effect on her, especially his nickname for her.

"I'll just do everything. I don't trust a Mudblood to interfere with my potion." He said as he moved the cauldron out of Granger's reach.

Her face turned the same colour as Weasel's hair. "It's my potion as well, as much as I hate to share anything with you. Now, has the potion turned pink yet?"

"That was two steps ago. Now it's turning purple."

"Excellent." Granger leaned over and added the powdered porcupine quills. They silently carried on, doing each step with careful precision. It hadn't occurred to him until after the lesson that most people tended to mess up after the first four steps.

But they both done it perfectly.

* * *

_I need to see the Mirror of Erised. INeedToSeeTheMirror -_

Taking an unnecessarily deep breath, he pushed his way into the Room of Requirement to reveal the exact same place as before.

The mirror glinted tauntingly in the dark. He stood in front of it, but faced the ground, dwelling on what he had originally thought the mirror would show him. Lucius. Nacrissa. The Slytherins -

A different sight greeted him as his head shot up, but nevertheless, it was still the same Granger. Their hands were intertwined together as if it had been fused that way. Standing between them was a blonde haired boy who looked like the splitting image of him when he was younger, except for his deep chocolate brown eyes and witty smirk. Mirror Granger bent down and whispered something to the boy, and the boy immediately straightened up with a burst of pride like he used to do. He noticed Nacrissa in the background, healthier than she'd ever been, not bothered upon spotting his son with a Mudblood.

"Hell no!" He drew out his wand, wondering if he could hex the mirror. "What do you know anyways? You're just a freaking piece of glass -"

"The most common reaction when faced with your deepest desire." A man chuckled behind him. He turned around, his jaw slacked at the sight of the Hogwarts headmaster, standing less than two feet away from him.

"Dumbledore." He swallowed hard, stepping closer to the mirror. It wasn't a secret he didn't get along with the old man, and presumably vice versa. "What are you doing here? Don't you have to go save Potter, your favorite boy?"

The old man aligned himself with Draco so that he was facing the mirror as well. "Such a wonder, this mirror." He mused, completely ignoring his question.

Draco gritted his teeth. "That mirror is incorrect." His accusation echoed around the small space. "It's a load of lies!"

"Now," Dumbledore remained calm, an amused expression playing on his face, "what does it show you?"

"None of your business." Draco tried to get to the exit, only to see the door that he had walked through moments ago being swallowed up by the wall. Outrage washed over him. Who was Dumbledore to show the Slytherin up?

"What happens in this room stays in this room." Dumbledore promised. _Don't listen to him. Don't listen to him -_

"It's that Mudblood Granger, she's everywhere. And I have actual friends in that mirror -"

He clapped his hands over his mouth. Whispering secrets to Dumbledore at night was the type of thing that his father threaten to disown him for.

"Don't dwell too much on what you see. But keep in mind, the mirror of Erised carries only the true facts, whether you please to see them or not."

"Then what does it show you, huh?" Draco challenged, crossing his arms tightly over his chest.

Dumbledore turned away and pointed his wand at the wall. A door appeared in sight again. He heard him musing something among the lines of wool socks, family, and a name that sounded suspiciously like "Grindelwald".

"Many people are helpless when it comes to what they desire - it's usually impossible, though I prefer to keep my mind open. You are one of the lucky few that still have a chance at getting what you want in your life. Don't forget that." Snapping his fingers, the headmaster vanished into thin air.

Granger was still in the mirror, and she was beginning to look like everything he'd ever wanted.

* * *

Draco couldn't believe he had stooped so low. He was trailing the Mudblood's footsteps, watching her struggle under the weight of her oversized backpack. Sadly, he could not put a finger on a single thing that was wrong with her, except for her blood status, which didn't amount to much in the end.

"Granger, got half of the library in there, as usual." He called out without thinking, resorting back to his old nasty ways.

When she turned around, he realized she was extremely tired. Dark circles brimmed the edges of her brown eyes. She looked as if she was just approached by a Dementor. Instantly, he felt guilty.

"Sod off, Malfoy." She said softly, picking up her pace.

He stopped in his tracks, remembering the way they acted in the mirror. Their son happened to be unfortunately incredibly handsome. Something told him he wouldn't look the same if the mother had been any other girl.

_You are one of the lucky few that still have a chance at getting what you want in your life. Don't forget that._

Since when did he take advice from Dumbledore? But despite his father's complaints, Dumbledore had a decent amount of sense in him. Besides, he wasn't much of a fan of Lucius these days.

Strolling forward, he called out her name.

"Hermione."

* * *

**I really suck at writing Dramione, but they happen to be my favorite HP couple, so...**


End file.
